Advocates

A workshop on responding to bullying LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) teens will be offered for parents and Carson City community members on Jan. 15. The workshop will be led by Christopher Daniels, who is an educator with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. It begins at 7 p.m. at the BRIC (Business Resource Innovation Center), 108 East Proctor Street, Carson City, Nev. The public is invited to attend.

Nevada lawmakers who sparked criticism from transparency advocates when they excused cities and counties from posting public salaries online now say they would be open to reversing that regulation.

After receiving numerous complaints, the Carson City District Attorney's Office is investigating a local man who has allegedly defrauded several people in the Hispanic community by telling them he is a credentialed lawyer.

The suspect is practicing law without a license and has been telling people he is a paralegal or a lawyer, said Carson City District Attorney Neil A. Rombardo. He is believed to have taken hundreds if not thousands of dollars from unknowing members of the community.

Closing out a multi-year process to update the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board is scheduled to vote Wednesday, Dec. 12 on the updated plan and supportive environmental documents at Harveys Resort convention center in Stateline.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. with brief statements by state leaders whose leadership resulted in key compromises allowing the plan to move forward, according to TRPA officials.

Being the capital city of Nevada, Carson City once again shines brighter and bucks the rest, turning the lights on Friday to not one but two Christmas trees during the kick-off of the two-day Snowflake Festival of Lights.

Perched on the State Capital steps, some 300 voices of the Carson City 5th Grade Singing Ensemble sang Christmas carols to a crowd of hundreds (if not thousands) of parents, siblings, dignitaries, retirees, state workers and locals who swelled onto Carson Street in good measure.

Carson City's annual Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights has become so well received over the years that the 2012 festival will now run for two days. The enhanced event is tonight, Friday, Dec. 7, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ice skating continues until 10 p.m.

Tonight's night's festivities begin on the capitol grounds with the state tree, a bristlecone pine, and downtown Carson City being lit along with a procession including Santa, Mrs. Claus and the 300 voices of the Carson City 5th Grade Music Students Singing Ensemble.

The annual Court Appointed Special Advocates Carson City Volunteer Recognition Dinner will be on Friday, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Gold Dust West in the Pinon-Sage Room. Attire : Semi-Formal.
All CASA volunteers are admitted free plus 1 guest. All Non-CASA's and extra guests $30.00 per person
The price includes a full dinner and dessert with tea, coffee and non-alcoholic beverages. There will be a No-Host bar open from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. There will be a silent auction and raffle drawings for our floral center pieces.

A plan that calls for the construction of 45 miles of non-motorized trails, including eight new trail heads along the west side of the Pine Nut Mountains in Douglas and Carson City counties is being considered.

With October designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Carson City-based Advocates to End Domestic Violence will hold a Light the Night 5K and 10K Walk/Run at Riverview Park on October 20.
This event, a fundraiser for Advocates, is a spinoff of the national Take Back the Night campaign, bringing it closer to home and creating Carson City's own event to bring awareness to domestic violence and sexual assault, said Traci Trenoweth, volunteer coordinator for Advocates.

CARSON CITY – Former state Sen. Sheila Leslie drew a clear contrast with her Republican opponent Sen. Greg Brower in the District 15 race in Washoe County in a debate today, calling for a corporate profits tax to generate enough revenue to adequately fund education.

Carson City authorities kept busy this weekend responding to a number of misdemeanor domestic violence calls. Several arrests were made.
A 42-year-old cook was arrested after allegedly pushing his wife and 12-year-old daughter because they were "nagging" him. According to the police report, instead of assaulting the woman and daughter further, the man went outside the home, punched a glass window instead with his forearm causing a laceration that required medical attention. The incident happened on Sept. 23 in the 400 block of Lee Street. The man was being held on $3,000 bail.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Division of Insurance (NVDOI) is seeking public input on what should be included in Nevada’s essential health benefits plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Six lucky people will have a chance to ride in the famous Wells Fargo Stagecoach in this year's Nevada Day Parade in October.
The Carson City Chamber, Wells Fargo Bank, and Advocates to End Domestic Violence have teamed together to offer the memorable Nevada Day experience for six lucky persons who purchase a $5 raffle ticket to ride in the Wells Fargo stagecoach this Nevada Day, Oct. 27. Proceeds of the raffle will go to support the programs of the Advocates.

CARSON CITY – With U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s 5^th annual National Clean Energy Summit set to kick off today in Las Vegas, the debate over alternative energy development and the government’s role in its future rages on.

More than 2,000 hungry locals and visitors filled downtown Carson City Saturday night for the 19th annual Taste of Downtown, a culinary event over 20 blocks that featured 43 restaurants, seven bands and plenty of community bonding.
From tangy barbecue ribs to fresh made pizza and lasagna, authentic tacos, sushi rolls and decadent desserts, there was more than enough food and good times to go around for this Carson City culinary fundraiser that benefits Advocates to End Domestic Violence.

CARSON CITY – It probably comes as no surprise to many Nevada motorists that the state is ranked in the Top 10 as one of the most dangerous in which to drive.

Nevada rounded out the top 10 states for dangerous driving with 1.56 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven, according to the report by carinsurancecomparison.com.

CARSON CITY – Sixty state lawmakers and legislative candidates who responded to a survey on government transparency largely favor new laws requiring the Legislature to follow the Open Meeting Law and mandating expanded reporting of spending on legislators by lobbyists.

The students of Grace Christian Academy (GCA) in Minden recently visited various local community service agencies and organizations to volunteer their time as part of the school’s Second Annual Serve-a-thon. GCA dedicates a week each school year to serve agencies and organizations within the area. Local businesses, corporations as well as private donors pledge money donations to the school in the fundraising effort that has the added benefit of developing character within the students.

Taste of DownTown Carson City tickets, 2,000 of them, will go on sale June 1. The popular culinary event of the summer, Taste of DownTown is held on the third Saturday in June each year and presented by Advocates To End Domestic Violence to benefit victims and their children.

Proponents and city officials fear the electorate's decision about City Center because when the record is examined, no impartial analysis can be produced justifying its necessity. Fact-based concerns have been raised by many, but intentionally ignored by city officials and proponents without careful analysis.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Departments of Public Safety and Transportation are reminding motorists to always drive safely after Nevada traffic fatalities rose by nearly a third in the first three months of 2012 compared to the same time last year.

Preliminary numbers show that 57 traffic fatalities occurred on Nevada roads in the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 11 deaths over the same time last year.

The Carson City Emblem Club #507 and the Carson City Elks Lodge #2177 are sponsoring St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Elks State President Jim Smolenski's Homecoming on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the Elks Lodge. Tickets on sale $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Corned Beef & Cabbage with all the trimmings. Cocktails 5:00 pm and Dinner at 6:30 pm.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month
1st Annual 5K/10K Walk Run
April 21, 2012
Race Day Registration at 7:00am Race Starts at 8:00am
Join us Saturday, April 21, at Riverview Park for a 5K or 10K walk/run to raise awareness for Sexual Assault. All proceeds benefit the local Sexual Assault Response Advocates Program. This Program aids victims of sexual assault and helps provide the assistance that is needed.
Cost: Before March 24th -$35.00
Before April 20th-$40.00
Race Day-$45.00
High School Students- $15.00
Kids under 12-$15.00

This month, Get Healthy articles have been focusing on love – loving your heart, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and sexual health. But what happens when love isn’t what it’s supposed to be? What if violence is involved and someone is at risk for physical or psychological harm? Since February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, this column will bring attention to some of the warning signs of dating violence, and highlight some of the resources in our community that are there to help victims of abusive or controlling relationships.

A vocal minority’s intermittent cheerleading promotes the massive City Center project. Their objective: replace the city library with a +$75 million, three-times-the-size library complex just east of the Nugget Casino. (The ‘official’ $49 million cost curiously excludes 30 years of interest payments.)

Absent from this well-intentioned, but ill-conceived project are viability, necessity and prudence.

The Office of the Nevada Attorney General will host eight trainings starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31 running through Thursday, Feb. 9 throughout the state about the Nevada victim notification service.

The goal of the trainings is to teach first responders, victims of crime, victim advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and community members about a service currently available in 13 of Nevada’s 17 counties called Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE).

South Shore native Darcie Goodman-Collins has been named the new executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe, officials announced today. She replaces Rochelle Nason who resigned last September.

Nevada traffic fatalities dropped in 2011 to 243.

Preliminary numbers show that 243 fatalities occurred on Nevada roads in 2011. This compares to 257 Nevada traffic deaths in 2010.

The reduced fatalities follow a general trend of traffic deaths dropping from an all-time high of 432 in 2006 to 243 in 2011.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), in close cooperation with Lyon County, is scheduled to install centerline rumble strips for enhanced safety on nearly 10 miles of U.S. 50 in the Mound House area beginning approximately Dec. 19, weather permitting.

Consisting of parallel grooves cut into the middle centerline of a roadway, tires running over the rumble strips produce sound and vibration when drivers veer out of their lane. By alerting and allowing motorists to correct their vehicles, head-on crashes can be reduced.

Downtown Carson City celebrated the start of the holiday season with the annual Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights.

Streets were closed off as throngs of people gathered in front of the state capitol to watch as the lights for the two giant Christmas trees were turned on.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on the back of an antique fire truck, with Mayor Bob Crowell riding shotgun. After the state's trees were turned on, the crowd headed over to the First Presbyterian Church where the city's Christmas tree was turned on.